Check booklet



I May 5, 1953 J. o. TILLY CHECK BOOKLET Filed May 26, 1952 @5 1 g INVENTOR /4 Jam 0. 127% ATTORNEYS Patented May 5, 1953 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,697,571. 'GHEKBOOK-EET James Tilly, Tulsa; Okla.

Application Mayer, 1952, Serial No. 289,992

2 Claims-r This invention relates to a b'ookle'tpf check blanks or a booklet containing even a single detachable checkblank. 7

In general, the invention co'nsists of a" booklet comprising front and rear cover members and aseries of check blanksintegrally joined together and to one of the covers whereby the entire structure may be; roduced from a single sheetof paper. Thearrangement is suchthat the fold lines between check blanks, which are constituted. byrows of {derforationsare not exposed to the exterior of the booklet when the booklet is closed. A11 such edg es -a're positioned withinthe boundaries of the cover membersto protect those folded edges from abrasion, wear and accidental separation.

It iscontemplated thatsuchbo'oklets may contain, for instance, fivechedks, each made out for a specific amount and lacking only the purchasers signature. Spaces may be provided Within the cover for certification by the issuing bank that the checks will-be honored and spaces for the purchasers records and his signature to be compared with that placed on the checks at the time of cashing.

It is obviously impractical to provide permanent covers and replaceable fillers for such a group of checks, it being desirable that a temporary cover be provided, and the present invention makes such provision by forming cover members integrally with the checks themselves.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an integral booklet and series of check blanks folded upon each other along perforated boundary lines and wherein cover members protect the perforated boundary lines when in folded condition.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a booklet of the type described from a single integral sheet of paper or the like.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an integral blank of sheet material properly scored and perforated whereby it may easily be folded into a booklet of the type described.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description proceeds in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a plan view of a blank of sheet material from which the booklet of the present invention is folded;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the blank shown in Fig. 1 in a partially folded condition;

Fig. 3 is a plan view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the check blanks folded upon each other and Adjacent one end of the" blank a transverse score line 4 is impressed in themater'ial parallel to the" end edge t of the blank; A second score line'- 81 is, impressed inthe sheetparalle'l to-the scoreline t and spaced therefrom a distance substantially equal to the distance between score line 4 and the' edge 6 of the blank. The scorelines fi and 8 and the edges of the blank thus define a frontcover member ill and a back cover'memb'er' 2. The lines 4 and 8 need not be actually pressed in the sheet but may be merely printed or otherwise indicated thereon. The use-ofthe term score line, or its equivalent, is intended to include such printedlines.

The remainder of the blank provided with a series of parallel rows of perforations l4, l6, I8, 20 and 22. The row of perforations I4 is parallel to the score line 8 but spaced therefrom a rela-- tively small distance defining a tab 26 therebetween. The spacing between score line 8 and row of perforations Id plus the spacing between rows of perforations l4 and i6 is no greater than the distance between score lines 4 and 8.

The rows of perforations M to 22 define a series of integrally joined check blanks 24. Each of the check blanks is of the same dimension as the others and they may be folded along their respective adjacent edges, as defined by the rows of perforations, into an accordion pleat arrangement.

Fig. 2 shows the booklet in partially folded condition wherein front cover member ID is folded relative to rear cover member l2 along score line 4. The narrow tab 2'5 between score line 8 and row of perforations I4 is folded inwardly to overlie the bottom portion of the back cover and the innermost check blank 24 may be folded relative to tab 2'6 as shown in Fig. 2 but when the booklet is in closed condition the innermost check blank 24 will lie coextensive with and in the same plane as tab 26 (see Fig. 4). The remaining check blanks 24 are folded in alternatively opposite directions about the rows of perforations [6 to 22.

Fig. 3 clearly illustrates the fact that the dimensions of the check blanks between the parallel rows of perforations plus the width of tab 26 is no greater than and is preferably slightly less than the distance between score lines 4 and 8. Thus, the front cover member I!) may be folded along score line I to overlie the stacked checks. When so folded, the edge 6 of the front cover will lie directly above the score line 8 with tab 26 extending inwardly between the cover members. The folded stack of check blanks lie entirely inwardly of the tab 26 and their folded edges 22 and I8 are well within the boundaries of the covermembers so that the edges of the cover members protect the folded portions I 8 and 22 from abrasion or accidental tearing during handling. By so protecting the rows of perforations, the likelihood of the checks being inadvertently detached from the booklet is diminished.

If desired, the inner face of the cover member ID may be provided with a description of the system and have a space, such as at 28, upon which the certification of the issuing blank may be impressed. A space 30 may be provided for the master signature of the purchaser. The inner face of the rear cover 12 may be employed as a "stub upon which the purchaser may keep a record.

While a single specific form of the invention has been illustrated and described, such is not to be construed as limiting the invention but merely illustrative thereof. Many modifications may be resorted to and the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A booklet of detachable checks, comprising: a sheet of material folded upon itself along an imperforate fold line to define a front cover and a back cover, a narrow integral tab cxtend ing along an edge of said back cover and folded inwardly along said edge along a second imperforate fold line, a series of check blanks integrally joined together, a row of perforations between adjacent check blanks, said check blanks being folded along said rows of perforations to lie in superposed relation between said covers, an edge of one of said check blanks being integrally joined to said tab, a row of perforations defining said edge of said check blank at its juncture with said tab, said check blanks being of substantially the same dimensions and lying wholly between said covers and wholly inwardly of the edge thereof to which said tab is joined.

2. A blank of sheet material adapted to be folded to define an integral structure having a front cover and a back cover with a plurality of check blanks therebetween, said blank comprising: a generally rectangular sheet of material, a first imperforate score line extending across said sheet parallel to one edge thereof, a second imperforate score line parallel to said first imperforate score line and spaced therefrom a distance substantially equal to the distance between said first imperforate score line and said edge, a plurality of parallel and equally spaced rows of perforations parallel to said imperforate score lines and on the side of said second imperforate score line opposite said first imperforate score line, one of said rows of perforations being adjacent but spaced from said second imperforate score line to define a narrow tab therebetween, the width of said tab plus the distance between adjacent rows of perforations bein no greater than the distance between said imperforate score lines.

JAMES O. 'I'ILLY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,068,011 Engel Jan. 19, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 19,616 Switzerland July 8, 1899 32,228 Switzerland Mar. 31, 1905 22,824 Great Britain Nov. 7, 1905 

